Texas Border Business
AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott announced that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) plans to award $78 million in Rural Texas Strong grants to 216 rural healthcare providers throughout the state.
“Every Texan deserves access to high-quality healthcare, no matter where they live,” said Governor Abbott. “This $78 million investment will help rural healthcare providers strengthen facilities, address chronic diseases, and recruit and retain the next generation of healthcare professionals. Texas will expand access to quality care and support healthiercommunities across our state.”
The awards are part of a historic investment of an estimated $1.4 billion in federal funding over five years to improve rural healthcare throughout the state.
“CMS is proud to work with states like Texas to deliver innovative, locally driven solutions as part of President Trump’s Rural Health Transformation Program,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “These awards demonstrate how this historic investment is empowering rural communities to strengthen their health systems, put patients first, and bring better care closer to home.”
“Rural providers know their communities best, and these investments will help them address local needs and strengthen care for the Texans they serve,” said HHS Executive Commissioner Stephanie Muth. “By supporting locally driven solutions, we are helping more Texans access quality care closer to home.”
Funding announced today will advance the following Rural Texas Strong initiatives:
- The “Make Rural Texans Healthy Again” initiative helps rural hospital districts improve health outcomes and chronic disease conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease or obesity.
- The “Next Generation of the Small Town Doctor and Team” initiative supports rural communities in recruiting, training and retaining physicians, emergency medical professionals and other health care workers.
- The “Infrastructure and Capital Investments for Rural Texas” initiative supports rural healthcare providers by replacing aging medical equipment and improving existing facilities.
HHSC will continue to announce its intent to award funding on a weekly basis as applications are reviewed across the Rural Texas Strong initiatives. Funding will be available after contracts are finalized. A list of the recipients is available here.
The $78,089,434.73 is a portion of the $281,319,360.67 first‑year award HHSC received from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Rural Health Transformation Program.
Rural Texas Strong, the CMS-approved state plan, is 100% federally funded through the Rural Health Transformation Program and features six initiatives to provide funding for rural communities to improve access to healthcare. Federal funding is contingent upon meeting all applicable program requirements.
For more information, visit the HHSC Rural Health Transformation webpage. Public notices and procurement opportunities for Rural Texas Strong will be announced through GovDelivery email notifications.
